Brand equity in the Pakistani hotel industry

Brand equity is considered as the most important aspect of branding, which is a set of brands' assets and liabilities, its symbol or name that subtracts from or adds the value provided by a product or service to a firm and customers. The current research endeavor was to identify the interrelationship of customer-based brand equity dimensions (brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand image, and service quality) in Pakistani hotel industry. Data was collected from 821 consumers who experienced the services of Pakistani five star hotels from multiple locations. Mediating regression and stepwise regression analyses were applied for investigation of study hypotheses. Results pointed out positive and significant influences of service quality on all other dimensions of brand equity whereas partial mediations were endorsed among the variables. Researchers and practitioners implications are discussed.

Current trends in the global tourism industry: evidence from the United States

Tourism is one of the largest U.S. industries, serving millions of international and domestic tourists yearly. Tourists visit the U.S. to see natural wonders, cities, historic landmarks, and entertainment venues. Americans seek similar attractions as well as recreation and vacation areas. Tourism competes in the global market, so it is important to understand current trends in the U.S. travel industry. Therefore, this article offers insight into important trends and suggests strategies for policy makers involved in the travel and tourism industry.

Public health and the knowledge industry

Knowledge plays an important role in health care. The production and diffusion of health-related knowledge are increasingly under the control of private commercial interests, which are characterized by conflicts of interests that result in abuses of power. Considerable research has been done on the medical-industrial complex and its role in the production of power imbalances and the consequent abuses, but little attention has been dedicated to the role played by the publishing industry, which can be subject to the same problems. The widely diffused idea that "frequent and major changes" occur in medicine, albeit unsupported by clearcut evidence, is an effective marketing tool for both the pharmaceutical and publishing industries, who feed and thrive on physicians' insecurities. The production and distribution of knowledge should be addressed as a strategic component of public health.

Schistosoma mansoni: the effect of dexamethasone on the cercaria-schistosomulum transformation, in vivo

Treatment with dexamethasone (DMS) in the early phases of the experimental Schistosoma mansoni infection causes an indirect effect on the cercaria-schistosomulum transformation process. This is observed when naive albino mice are treated with that drug (50 mg/Kg, subcutaneously) and infected intraperitonealy 01 hour later with about 500 S. mansoni cercariae (LE strain). An inhibition in the host cell adhesion to the larvae, with a simultaneous delay in the cercaria-schistosomulum transformation, is observed. This effect is probably due to a blockade of the neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavity of mice, by an impairment of the release of chemotactic substances. Such delay probably favors the killing of S. mansoni larvae, still in the transformation process, by the vertebrate host defenses, as the complement system.

Kinetics of the cercaria-schistosomulum transformation in vivo

Sitice most studies on the cercaria-schistosomulum transformation have been carried out in vitro, the authors used the inoculation ofcercariae into the peritoneal cavity of mice tofollow the steps involved in this progressive adaptation of cercarie to the vertebmte host. The main conclusions were: 1. Most cercariae reach the schistosomular stage between 90-120 min after intraperitoneal inoculation. 2. Changes usuallystart with detachment of the tail followed by loss, rupture or changes of the glycocalix. 3. After 120 min most larvae loss their tails and present water sensitivity. 4. Acetabular grands depletion usually does not occur in cercaria-shistosomulum changes in the peritoneal cavity of mice. These steps differ in some way from those described in the kinetics of the in vitro observations performed by other investigators, and is more like those described in the penetration in the skin of living vertebrates.

Kinetics of the cercaria-schistosomul um transformation in vivo: 2. The effect of oxamniquine

To study the cercaria-schistosomulum transformation in vivo, underthe influence of an antischistosomal compound (oxamniquine), a model using cercarial infections into the abdominal cavity of mice was chosen. This procedure provided easy and reproducible recoveries of larvae from peritoneal washings with appropriate solutions for a long time (30 to 180 min) after inoculation. The results show that high doses of oxamniquine (given intramuscularly one hour before the infection) produce a marked delay in the kinetics of the cercaria-schistosomulum transformation. Cercariae, tail-less cercarial bodies and schistosomula were recovered from the peritoneal cavity ofdrug treated mice in numbers significantly different from those recovered from untreated mice.

Malignant transformation of a rat fibroma by the treatment with an anti-fibrosing drug: CY-168F (Plastenan)

Fifteen albino (Sprague Dawley) rats with subcutaneous transplanted fibromas was used in the present study. The tumour was formed by typical fibroblasts in a dense collagen matrix and was provenient from a fibroma that appeared spontaneously in an albino rat of the same strain. Ultrastructurally collagen disclosed normal periodicity and the fibroblasts showed irregular notched nuclei with irregular distribution of chromatin, that suggests transitional aspects to fibrosarcoma. The 15 animals, from different passage groups, were divided into: 8 animals submitted to treatment with the drug acexamic acid (CY-168F) - N acetyl-amino-6-hexanoic acid (plastenan) and 7 untreated control animals. Three of the treated animals showed a malignant transformation to fibrosarcoma. transitional histological features from typical fibroma to highly indifferentiated fibrosarcoma could be detected in come animal subjected to repeated biopsies. Ultrastructural study disclosed nuclear alterations and hyperactive ergastoplasm and collagen containing inclusions into the cytoplasm of fibroblasts. In the group of 7 untreated naimals, no malignant transformation could be detected histologically. Two aspects deserve attention: the malignant potential of a typical fibroma and the apparent effect of an antifibrosing drug in inducing malignization of this tumour.

Opportunities and constraints in schistosomiasis vaccine development: infection characteristics and industry realities

The notes provided in this article relate to two components of the development of vaccines against schistosomiasis: (1) The characteristics of schistosome infections (eg. features of the schistosome life cycle), and the parasite itself, that have implications for vaccination strategies; (2) The characteristics of the biopharmaceutical industry that have implications for product development. As will be seen, these two topic areas are not vastly disparate.

Germline transformation of Aedes fluviatilis (Diptera:Culicidae) with the piggyBac transposable element

The technique to generate transgenic mosquitoes requires adaptation for each target species because of aspects related to species biology, sensitivity to manipulation and rearing conditions. Here we tested different parameters on the microinjection procedure in order to obtain a transgenic Neotropical mosquito species. By using a transposon-based strategy we were able to successfully transform Aedes fluviatilis (Lutz), which can be used as an avian malaria model. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the piggyBac transposable element as a transformation vector for Neotropical mosquito species and opens up new research frontiers for South American mosquito vectors.